One down, one to go for Kurt Browning in Pasco superintendent's race

Although his supporters are celebrating like he's the next Pasco schools superintendent, GOP primary winner Kurt Browning still has one more race to run: Write-in candidate Kathy Lambert has no intention of going down without a fight.

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"It's premature for Heather (Fiorentino) to say, 'Now we're going to educate Kurt,'" Lambert said, referring to the incumbent's election night statements that she would help Browning with the transition into office. "He's not the superintendent-elect, not until November, and not unless he wins."

Lambert refused to acknowledge even that she faces an uphill battle, though write-ins rarely win. She observed that the GOP primary was settled by a minority of voters, and that there are plenty of ways to run a campaign without loads of money (which she conceded Browning has at his disposal).

"I am running. I ran because people need a choice," Lambert said. "It is not American to have only one person running."

Former county commissioner Ed Collins, who also filed as a write-in candidate, said he will not be part of the equation.

"I faxed a letter to (elections supervisor) Brian Corly withdrawing from the write-in candidacy in November," he said. "My original intent was not to be superintendent of schools. It was to close the primary to (only) Republican voters."

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.